I've been warned: Do not leave the country

The growing risks for naturalized citizens like me in Trump's America

This is something I never thought I’d have to say on the show: multiple immigration attorneys have warned me not to leave the United States right now. It’s not because I’m undocumented or in some legal gray area. I’m a U.S. citizen. I’ve been one for decades. My family moved here legally, obtained green cards, and eventually became citizens. I was a minor at the time, so I automatically became a citizen as well. I’ve had a U.S. passport since I was 16.

I’ve followed the process, done everything right, and built my life here. But now, under a second Trump administration, even someone like me is being told that traveling abroad could result in unexpected and uncomfortable experiences when returning home. Immigration lawyers are saying that it’s becoming a real risk for naturalized citizens like me. We’re being advised to have legal representation lined up in case we get caught in an unpredictable situation when re-entering the country.

The concern isn’t that I’ll be deported. The issue is more subtle and deeply concerning. The real risk is that I could be pulled aside at the border, questioned for hours, delayed indefinitely, or treated like I don’t belong in the country I’m a citizen of. And this isn’t just a hypothetical situation. Reports are surfacing of naturalized citizens—especially those with foreign-sounding names or dual citizenship—being detained, interrogated, and made to feel like second-class citizens when re-entering the U.S. Some are even separated from their families.

This isn’t a rare incident—it’s happening to real people. One day you’re fine, and the next you’re being held and questioned for hours. It doesn’t matter that you’ve followed all the rules. You’re still treated like a foreigner. And that’s what’s troubling. The goal isn’t necessarily to deport everyone—it’s to make us feel like we don’t belong, even though we’ve done everything right.

It’s about fear. The Trump administration wants us to feel like we’re on probation in our own country. We’re constantly under suspicion, and that fear is the tool they use to silence us. It’s a strategy to create self-censorship. We don’t need mass deportations to instill fear. Enough horror stories will make people second-guess their decisions to travel, protest, or even apply for jobs. That’s how authoritarian systems operate.

And here’s the absurdity. Just a few years ago, during the COVID pandemic, the same people who now ignore the plight of naturalized citizens were screaming about how no U.S. citizen could be denied reentry into the country. They said that even asking for a COVID test was unconstitutional. Now, when naturalized citizens are flagged and detained, those same voices are silent. It’s only tyranny when it affects them. The hypocrisy is staggering, and the silence is deafening.

Now, I’m being told to be careful. To have legal representation ready in case something goes wrong. It’s not just my experience—it’s a larger trend: the erosion of rights for naturalized citizens. This is about creating a system where some Americans are treated as second-class citizens. If we allow this, if we let fear guide our actions, we risk allowing this injustice to become the new normal.